No good teachers in your area Vince? We have a few double basses at the HS sitting idle. I doodled with one for a while. No one uses it but they (the district) won't sell it to me.

That's exactly where I got mine from. This was the bass I learnt on a couple of years back, now just sat in a back room gathering dust waiting for the string tension to snap it's neck. we just rang up the school and boom it's out of there and singing again.

I don't really get on that well with instrumental teachers. It seems cocky but they just seem to slow me down. I learn best with just a couple of exercises/ challengine pieces to play. Plus all the bass teachers I know or have heard of are either guitarists who think 'bass guitar, how hard can that be?' or chello players who think the same about double bass. not a good way to learn. maybe in a few years when I've had a little while to play around but since i'm just starting out...

I think it's funny that all the lessons in the double bass lesson section are pieces for two basses not for double bass. *giggles*

www.asodb.com feel free to contact the director Mark Morton with any questions you might have. If you have any specific questions about double bass playing, post them and ill try and field them here.

I'm on the 10 year plan to learn URB, but I find "The Evolving Bassist" by Rufus Reid good. It was highly recommend by a couple good local URBists, but bear in mind it's ANCIENT (I'm fine with that though, until they add a 13th note).

Into checking out some jazz gigs to audition teachers? I can think of 6 teachers between very good & truly great here, & Halifax is a very small city.

Ray Brown's book is also and excellent place to learn jazz theory and technique.

its cello,..... my main istrument is cello and one u learn that it is very similar to upright bass. the only difference is that cello is tuend to 5ths not 4ths, all the fingerings are very similar if not the same

Vince it is important to at least start out with a teacher to learn proper and correct technique. Using the wrong technique on string bass can cause injuries, even minor ones can effect your long term ability to play the instrument.
Once you have the proper technique then you can self educate yourself.

Don't get me wrong I've been playing Double Bass on off now for about 4/5 years two years of which I had a qualified teacher. I know how to play, it's just what to play to get better that's stumped me.

try somthing compleatly differnt of what u usally play, fow example if your in to jazz or rockabilly, try learing a classical peice. do u know what your grade level is? if u do it will make it easier to pick a peice to challenge u and get u better. if u dont know tell me the hardest song u can play and i will be able to tell u.

That's exactly what i opted for. I usually play folk, jazz and rock and do it all improvised so I don't actually know any pieces. I've just ordered up a good volume of classical pieces grade 1-5 so I'm gonna work my way through those.

When I used to take lessons I was playing at a grade 4 standard but my electric bass playing and theory was all grade 8. it's a weird place to be in, knowing what I wanted to play but having to fight my way over the big ol double bass to get there.

All I know is that everyone I've mentioned this too now wishes they had one, as good double bass players seem so rare these days especially in orchestras. Seems a guy can easily get by just by keepin it low.

grade 8? wow, i thought it only went to 6.

Uk Awarding bodies all award up to grade 8. They stop there coz then you can tell kids that are exagerating about how good their big brother is when he's like grade 10 or summut.

I say grade 8. I never sat the exam though, I might have to try it some day.